The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-04-21
Does fruit grow in the wilderness of

those OF us who live there think it
does, and its quality and character re-
ceived endorsement high over all at
the Centennial Exposition of 1876.
The state in 1884 had $500. 900 bearing
apple trees, and upwards of 1000. 900
planted that were yet too young to
bear. Of bearing peach trees the
count showed nearly 5000. 900. and
three-fourths as many more planted.
Cherry trees numbered 100000. and
of pear trees there were a third as
many. To serve as protectors of these
orchards, to relieve the monotony of
the prairie scene, to afford grateful
shade and provide timber for the
future needs, there have been planted
12O, 900 acres of artificial forest.
Have tame grasses been introduced
or their production found practicable
there?
We think SO. The crop harvested
in 1884 was approximately 65O. 900 tons
of timothy, clover and other tame
grasses, from an area of 800. 900 acres.
besides 100000 tons of millet and
Hungarian. from 40, 900 acres in cul-
tivatiOn. To supplement this there
were put up more than 100000 tons
of prairie OF wild hay.
To onncTDna Gonna Of tI,n ,.o1
grass of which | told you. we take
pride in our $50, 900 cattle, including
many herds of the choicest improved
breeds; in our $4,000 horses and
mules may say parenthetically, that
it must take lofty patriotism and the
closest of family ties to make man
proud of mule;) in our LIST, 900
sheep, that last year produced $780,
geo pounds of wool; and in our swine,
which numbered about 2,000.0 900 head.
the peer of any in any land.
This is a region elsewhere counted a
desert plain, but now the chosen home
of prosperous, hardy, brave and gen.
erOus people. / have not even called
attention to its hundreds might al
most say thousands miles of rail-
roads; its packing houses, some of the
most extensive ever constructed; its
second largest stock yards and stock
market in the world; it's eXhaustless
beds of coal, varying from 20 to 80
inches in thickness; its numerous quar-
ries of superb building stone; its profit
able mines of lead and zinc; it's salt
springs, its immense gypsum deposits;
its chalk, pOtter's clay, fire-clay, hy-
draulic limestone; its gas and artesian
wells; its healthful climate; and innu-
merable other features that made it
to its inhabitants, truly the promised
land; region of which one of her
SONS has well said: First in corn.
first in wheat, first in the hearts of it's
citizens. Four hundred and ten miles
long, two hundred and ten miles wide.
Every morning, during the cOrn-plOw-
ing season, the farmers go out into a
cOrn-field as large as the whole state
of New Jersey. Every noon, during
the harvest, the harveSterS come in to
dinner from wheat field which con-
tains 100000 acres more than the
state of Delaware; and every night
MARY calls her cattle home from
pasture larger than Pennsylvania.
Once called desert, the state is now
a garden. The mustang is succeeded
by the Norman. The buffalo has
turned over tie prairies to the Dur
ham. Corn tassels where the Sioux
danced. The wheat crop grows over
the Old-prairie dog village. The sun
that crept over wigwam and cotton
wood shines on orchard and meadow"
Located in the favored parallel-''a
district that is to control the destinies
of the globe parallel that has been
the thread upon which jewels of
wealth, plenty, luxury and refinement
have been hung from time to time i'm
The 37th parallel is the
girdle which the genii of civilization
have spun around the sphere. Along
it lie great cities. Kansas is right in
the very path of this prosperity. With
as fertile soil as lies out doors, and
with a salubriOus climate, it is there
fore fit abode for successful men,